The Portland daily press., 1887-03-26
MARVELLOUS CURES.
Results OF New Treatment Of Con-
sumption.
carbonic Acid Gas brings Patients
almost from the Grave.

carbonic Acid Gas brings Patients
almost from the Grave.
Probably no discovery in the practice Of
medicine during many years has awakened
more interest on the part Of physicians than
the system Of treatment Of phthisis which ia
now being given a trial at the Philadelphia
Hospital by Physician-in-Chief t. N. Me-
Laughlin, assisted by Drs Il. I. Bruel andR
A. Taylor, says the Philadelphia Record.
This treatment, which Is simply rectal injec-
tlons OF earbonic acid gas, is not original with
DR.. Mclaughlin, although he Is the first to
give It trial in this country, but is the re-
suit Of experiments made years ago by Claude
Bernard, an eminent French physician. DIT.
Bernard experimental with lower animals,
and found that gases which were poisonous
when inhaled produced no injurious results
when introduced into the intestines. Beyond
this point his investigations we're not carried;
but few years ago Prof. Bergeron Of Lyons
commenced series Of experiments to ascer-
tain the effects Of various gases thus intro
duced into the human system. In the course
Of his Investigation, he found that certain
gases applied through the rectum produced
marked results In persons suffering from
phtnlsis OF consumption. Before ann0unc-
ing this discovery, he made 1t the subject Of
careful study for two years, experimenting
upon numerous patients. and not only found
that carbonic acid gas, when properly intro
duced into the intestnes, had beneficial eff
feet upon the patient, but also had the salts
faction Of effecting a permanent cure In sew
eral cases OF consumption. Last August
Prof. BergerOn embodied the results Of his
Investigations in paper which was read be-
fora the AQabafny ~ &afanaa In Durfa ffa
discovery was received with incredulity by
many, and with ridieule by more, but the
physicians in the Paris hospitals began ex-
periments In the line indicated by Prof. Ber-
geron, with results similar to those obtained
by him.
A few months ago DR. Mclaughlin read Of
the marvellous accomplishments Of the
French physicians, and determined TO make
a test Of the system in the treatment Of some
OF the patients under his charge. Accord
ingly he prepared the necessary apparatus,
and asked q number OF patients in the adj
vanced stages Of phthisis If they were will
ling TO undergo the treatment, being assured
that 1t would not be In the least harmful and
might prove very beneficial. At first only
few OF the more aggravated sufferers availed
themselves OF the treatment, but as the won
derful results became manifest many others
requested TO be placed under the same treat
ment. On the 10th day Of February and the
few days following, all other medical treat
ment of the subjects was entirely stopped.
and nt,remedy but carbonic acid gas was
administrator
very simple, and wiien-Sroperly followed
produces no pain in the patieiivsssn, ~. little
inconvenience The apparatus used byaBA
Mclaughlin, Bruen and Taylor IS exceeding
ly simple, consisting Of rubber gas bag Of a
capacity Of four or five gallons and Woulf
bottle, such as is used by chemists for wash
ing or saturating gases, aud the necessary
connections OF rubber tubing. The flask Is
filed with water, bearing In solution sodium
chloride and sodium gulphide in the propor-
tion Of five grains Of each TO "A ounces Of
water. The rubber bag Is filled with gase-
Gus carb0nic acid and connected by tubing
with the bottle TO such way that pressure
upon the bag will force its contents through
the liquid and thence through a rubber fitted
with a syringe tube. By pressure upon the
bag the gas Is forced regulated so as not 10
produce any pain In the patient, and the
whole operation lasts but 10 10 20 minutes
The treatment of the chosen patients has
been continued regularly since Feb. 10, from
one to five pints Of gas being administered TO
each subject twice daily, and with results
thus far but little short Of miraculous. One
OF the most interesting cases is that OF man
about As years Of age, who has been sick for
about nineteen months. On Feb. 10, when
he was under the gas treatment, he was so
weak as to be unable 10 turn in bed. and so
emaciated that his bones nearly protrnded
through his skin. He was unable TO retain
n0urishment OF any sort, was continuously
e8xeIed with = COL, ellanlH2 y aresnl lrat On
and had an almost incessant cough, which
caused intense pain in his chest He was so
far gone that the physicians said he would
not live As hours. When seen yesterday after
| six weeks treatment, he sat up in bed and
| said that he had been up and about the ward
| and that he had not had sweat for two weeksi
| His appetite was good he said, and his food
| caused him no trouble. He rested well at
| night, his cough had almost entirely disap-
| peared and with 1t the pains in his chest.
Another Interesting case Is that of q man
who has been suffering from phthisis for two
years, and has been under treatment in the
treatment in the hospital for three months,
during which time he has not left ms ucu
His general symptoms were similar to those
OF the patient ebove mentioned Gas was
first administered 10 him on Feb 10. One
month later he walked down three aishts of
stairs to be weighed and climbed back TO mis-
ward afterward. After another week he
again made the trip, and his weight showed
a gain Of three pounds during the week.
Yesterday he was walking about In the hos
pital, and SAID he felt very much better and
stronger.
A case of a somewhat different nature was
found In the. woman's ward. The patient
was admitted to the hospital some time ago,
suffering from catarrhal pneumonia. She
had high fever, was subject 20 severe par
oxysms Of coughing, accompanied by pro-
fuse expectoration, composed almost solely
| OF pus. She was, also, continuously bathed
Il
| acid gas treatment which was commenced on
| Feb. IA, these symptoms have entirely disap-
/ peared, Expeetoration, has ceased, and the
| large cavity In the right lung Is now perfect
/ ly dry and gradually contracting. and 10 all
| appearances, the patient Is on the road to
| complete recovery
There are some 20 odd cases in the hospital
| under the same treatment and all have shown
| equally remarkable improvement.
DIR. McLaughlin's theory Of the action of
| the carbOnie acid, which contains about one
/ part in ten Of sulphuretted hydrogen, as we'll
as trace of gaseous hydrOchloric acid, is
| that the gas slowly introduced into the tes-
/ tines Is gradually absorbed and passes into
/ system, being finally exhaled, Thus reach
/ ing the affected parts, IL arrests the decOmpo-
sition by effecting a rapid oxidlzation Of the
| affected surfaces. The absorption Of the gas
/ and its subsequent contact with the diseased
surfaces is shown by the burning OF smarting
| sensation which Is felt in those parts soon
after treatment with the gas. After each
| application the pulse falls 10 TO Is beats, res
piration increases four to six and the tenn
perature falls several degrees. In one case
the temperature was lowered g. from 105o. Z.
The further and ultimate results OF the ex-
periments are awaited with intense interest
| Dr. Mclaughlin is sanguine Of the success OF
the method, and predicts that II will lead TO
a complete change In the treatment OF pull
monary troubles.
Il